


two truths and a lie

by latlok (mxverity)



Category: Loki: Agent of Asgard, Marvel
Genre: F/F, F/M, Lokerity, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-23 21:02:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14340849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mxverity/pseuds/latlok
Summary: It was supposed to just be one night, one night, then they would go back to how they always were. Back to just friends, even if it hurt her to agree to it.It wasn’t supposed to end up like this.





	1. Chapter 1

“You’ll see me again,” he says, a promise.

“Loki, I-“ But then there is the beeping of a call ended, and Verity doesn’t even know what she would have said.

“Loki, I love you?”

He knows already, and she is loved in return- even if not in the way she would like.

“Loki, I’m pregnant?”

He does not know. She is not sure he ever will, now.

And besides, she is only Verity Willis- truth seeker, sure, but ultimately human. He is Loki, liar and god. She cannot hold him down like that, not when he has already lost what family he does know about. Cannot pin him down with a child, even if- even if-

The phone drops from her hand, and she does not care. The one person she wants, needs, is gone, gone, gone, with a promise that sounded like a lie, and Verity is left to sob in an empty, lonely apartment that is even colder without him.

But what sort of story is this, that it begins in the middle? What sort of story begins at the heroine’s despair, her greatest trial, with no rising action?

Let’s fix that, shall we?


	2. Chapter 2

Her iced tea is quickly warming, her last nerve is steadily wearing thin, and Verity Willis is seriously considering returning to her apartment and never opening the door ever again- even (especially) for her well-meaning mother. Her spoons were already low from preparing for this- cleaning up, getting dressed, preparing what to say- and they steadily decreased with every bullshitter that came her way.

Speaking of bullshitters...

“Slimeball,” she mutters, as Steve Whatever-his-name-is finally backs off and moves on to terrorize someone else. She doesn’t quite care who it is, so long as it isn’t her.

Her mind quickly changes as the next man moves to sit down, and she catches sight of his nametag.

Ray.

It’s a lie, but that’s the least of her concern. She hates that name, hates the face that comes with it, hates every second of memory that bubbles to the surface.

The man wearing the lie is talking, but she doesn’t care- it’s just another lie.

“-name’s Ray, and-“

“No, it’s not!” she explodes. “Your name isn’t Ray!” She might be grateful for that fact, but she’s even more pissed that he had the fucking audacity to say it was in the first place. The fucking audacity to bring that name back into her life. “Get the hell out of here!”

He retreats quickly, probably not expecting her outburst. Verity, however, doesn’t care if she scared him- he’s a liar, at the very least, one of many.

With a sigh, she picks up her iced tea. Maybe she’ll get a break, just for a minute.

Or... maybe the next person who sits down will be dressed in some outrageous green outfit, with little gold horns on his head. “Okay, wow,” she begins with a scowl forming on her lips. “Sorry, are we- are we cosplaying now?”

He pauses, and visibly begins to look more closely at her. “I don’t know.” Then, a curl at the corner of his mouth- a smile, of all things. “Are we?”

She scoffs, sets her drink back down. At least this one’s interesting- and didn’t lie within his first sentence. “Well, one of us definitely is. Why the getup?” she presses. “Is there a con going on somewhere?” She half expects- no, no, wholly expects him to lie in his answer. People lie all the time, for no apparent reason, and she doubts he’ll be an exception.

“There’s always a con going on somewhere,” he answers coolly. And it’s not a lie, even if she thinks he’s using a different definition of “con” than she intended. “But to answer your first question...”

Oh, this should be good.

“... I’m actually Loki, Norse god of mischief.”

Oh fuck. Oh fuck, he’s not lying.

He- Loki- continues. “I’m here on a top-secret spy mission from the All-Mother, the ruling triumvirate of Asgardia- in return for having one of my many crimes stricken from all godly records. I know it sounds like the most ridiculous lie-“ he turns, and full-on grins at her, “- but it’s not, is it?”

She knows it’s not. She also knows he’s trying to impress her, for some weird reason, in some weird way.

“... No,” she concedes. “So what’s- what’s your, uh, your mission?” Might as well ask... even if he did say top-secret. It’ll get her mind off lies, hopefully, off unsavory memories.

And he answers truthfully once more. “A certain goddess named Lorelei.” It’s a surprise- not the name, obviously, as she has no idea who it belongs to, but the truth that carried it. People are liars. Gods are liars. The god of lies and mischief is most certainly a liar.

Yet he’s not lying to her.

“I don’t know who that is,” she admits. A truth of her own.

He raises an eyebrow, still grinning. “Of course you don’t.”

And so he tells her of Lorelei, of his connection to her- and of his mother appearing in the punch. It’s all true, leaving her to just listen, for once, and she just barely stifles a giggle at his expression as he recounts the All-Punch splashing onto the carpet, just as the company arrived.

Gathering herself, she takes a quick sip of her iced tea and clears her throat. “So... what happened next?”

“Next?” He shrugs. “The rug was ruined. And so was the party, might I add. Still, never mind. I’ll get some new-new neighbors next month. Start over.” More quietly, “I’m all about starting over.” He shakes his head then. “Anyways...”

Loki continues, and begins to weave together a truthful tale, as Verity listens with rapture. This is more fascinating than any math textbook she’s ever read, more truthful than even any history book. She doesn’t even notice herself leaning in, propping her chin on her hand as he speaks.

“Wow,” she breathes. “So that was you?”

“What?” Loki laughs, barely covering it as a cough. “No! Why would I use a gun?”

“Anyways...” he says again, giving her a look that says “please let me finish.”

He continues once more, detailing the downfall of one of Lorelei’s chosen agents, and Trixie’s subsequent betrayal as she reveals herself to be none other than the god of mischief themself.

“Wait- that was you?” She hadn’t even seen it coming, hadn’t detected any lie in his words.

“Hello, shapeshifter!” He’s smirking, obviously proud of himself, and Verity is, for once, nothing but amused.

“But- you said...”

“Yes.” He leans in for himself, meeting her eyes. “I’m always myself.”

She feels as though she’s just been trusted with a very deep, very personal secret.

She’s not wrong.

“But then,” he sighs, returning to the story, “Lorelei left. A portal through her bag, of course. And I, being my opportunistic self, merely took the opportunity to... relieve them of some of their millions. When in Monte Carlo-“

Verity shakes her head, smiling despite herself. “Wow. So now what?”

“Now?” Loki shrugs again, surprisingly nonchalant, as though he didn’t just spill all the secrets of a top-secret mission. “Lorelei will need to rebuild her cash reserves- and fast. Which means going back to the old classics.” He speaks with his hands as he continues, describing her targets. “She’ll be looking for the easily enchanted- singletons, lovelorn types, and the more the merrier.”

“So,” he says, leaning forward once more, green gaze burning as it meets Verity’s, “hello, speed dating. But here’s the thing- I did wear an illusion this time.”

He gestures grandly to the rest of the room. “Everyone here sees me as a 40-year-old divorcée named Ken. Everyone-“ he smirks, “- but you. Funny, that.”

“Wait.” Oh, no, she does not need this. “You- you don’t think I’m-“

“What?” He sits back. “No! No.” Bringing his hands up, he subtly points to her left. “Lorelei was none the wiser- until I slipped her a wallet with my calling card in it.”

She turns, and tries to not be conspicuous as she searches, Loki’s description guiding her. “She’s over at the next table- dyed blonde, lilac jacket. Try not to stare.”

Verity turns back as soon as she spots the goddess, and Loki continues. “Anyway, you’re the only person here who actually saw me. I’m curious as to why.”

It appears it’s time for a truthful tale of her own.

“I...“ She fidgets, twisting her hands together. “My name’s Verity Willis. Nobody’s ever lied to me- because nobody can.”

He motions for her to continue. It takes her a moment, and a deep breath, but she does.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always seen through any lie I’m told, no matter how small or well-intentioned. I was the only kid in my class who never believed in Santa Claus.” She remembers being a child, ripping the fake beard right off of that poor man’s face. “I was always the first to know.”

Verity grimaces as she continues. “I can’t even watch a movie. Any kind of fiction just... frustrates me. People talk about suspension of disbelief...” She remembers Chris with his roses, lying to try to make her happy. “... That’s just not something I can do.”

Loki’s leaning closer, his face falling with hers, but she’s too caught up in her telling to notice. “So I sit around reading about pure mathematics, physics, things I know are always true, and I try to pretend that that’s enough... to lie to myself-“

He takes her hand, gently, gently, rubbing a thumb over the back of her palm as she finishes. “... but I can’t. I can’t.”

“Brave heart, Verity.” His voice is gentle, moreso than she would expect from a god. She blinks away tears, refusing to shed them, and forces herself to meet his eyes. “There are people in this world who will never lie to you. Not me, obviously, but they do exist. I promise.”

She can tell it’s the truth- or at least, he thinks it is. She smiles, a small expression. “That’s... really sweet of you, Loki. Thanks.”

He’s done more for her than he realizes- told her the truth, told her a story, comforted her when he had no obligation, and made a promise that she knows he thinks will be kept. The least she can do is ask, “So, uh... will I see you again?”

“Oh, probably.” Loki releases her hand, and stretches slowly, like a cat. “We might even live in the same building. You sound like a perfect neighbor. But right now, if you’ll excuse me-“ They both look up, and the blonde- Lorelei- is scowling down at Loki. “- I have a mission to attend to.”

He stands, offering his arm to Lorelei, and Verity watches them go.

And then, because she’s just a bit too curious, she follows, keeping her distance.

“-mortal girl...”

She catches Loki’s laugh, dismissive- and false. “Curiosity, nothing more. I’ve already put her from my mind.”

She can’t help but grin at that.

“Liar.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blease leave a comment i need that validation


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